


announcements

by lesdeuxarbres



Series: new beginnings [2]
Category: Holby City
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Future, Character Death Fix, Established Relationship, Fluff, Roxanna lives!, SO MUCH FLUFF, did i mention there is fluff??
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-13
Updated: 2018-10-13
Packaged: 2019-08-01 11:48:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16284059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesdeuxarbres/pseuds/lesdeuxarbres
Summary: This is a follow-on from "new beginnings". Although I believe it can stand-alone too.The happy couple share their news with friends and colleagues at Holby.





	announcements

Roxanna and Henrik were nearly an hour early for work, so they lingered the stairwell that leads towards Keller.

“What time is your meeting with the board?”

“10 am. I have a few patients I need to check up on beforehand."

“Are you nervous?”

“Not really. You were right. This feels right; it feels like I’m making the right decision. I’m not sure why it took me a week to decide."

He looks around to see if any stray ears are wandering nearby before continuing, “Are you ready?” 

“Me? What do I need to be ready for?” She looks at him innocently.

“Nothing. Just a wildfire of hospital gossip about us." Henrik sighs, “I am sorry, Roxanna. But I believe it’s best if I tell the board as I accept the position. In the interest of full disclosure."

“Stop apologising." She chides him gently, “You’re right. It is best, you tell them now. Otherwise, you’ll be accused of not being upfront.…Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine; I’m always fine."

“That’s not true." He rubs the back of her neck and gently traces the beginning of the scar above her hairline. A constant reminder to him, how close to death she had been.

She wrinkles her nose and tilts her head at him as she gauges the full extent of his meaning. “That was completely different." She pulls him into a tight hug and speaks into his chest. ”Don’t worry about me. I’m thick skinned; I can take a little hospital gossip." Henrik relaxes against her embrace and rests his chin on the top of her head. 

“You have just agreed to become my wife; I think that gives me license to worry about you as much as I please."

She scoffs into his jumper. "Ah…I think you'll find it is _you_  who agreed to become _my_  husband. It hasn't even been twelve hours yet, and you're already trying to claim spousal rights."

Roxanna pulls away slightly to look at his face. Her hands grasp his shoulders.

"I'm so proud of you....not because of the job, but because of how far you've come. How much effort you've put into getting better, healing and being healthy."

Henrik's heart swells at her words, he pulls her closer again and kisses the side of her temple.

They're interrupted by a voice from above that nearly makes them spring apart until they both recognise it.

"Am I dreaming? Henrik Hanssen and Roxanna MacMillan canoodling in the stairwell? No one would ever believe me..... You know half the hospital staff doesn't even think, you're really together. I overheard scary Sue from ITU complain that she'd never even seen you two, so much as hold hands."

"Good morning Serena." Roxanna recovers first but makes no effort extract herself from Henrik's arms. "Well, we like to keep the masses guessing. Helps keep them entertained."

Serena beams at them both, pleased to see her friends so happy.

"Actually, Roxanna, you're just the person I'm looking for. I know you haven't started your shift yet, but any chance I could steal you away for a neuro consult on AAU?"

"Yes, Of course." She lifts her head to peck Henrik chastely on the lips.

"I'll see you later. I'll let you know when everything's done." Henrik says as he releases her from his arms.

Serena looks at him strangely for his choice of words but says nothing as Roxanna follows her to AAU.

 

* * *

 

Henrik was gathering his things as the meeting ended. He sent a quick text to Roxanna. _**It's done.-H**_  

Several members of the board lingered afterwards to shake his hand and offer their congratulations both professionally and personally.

Henrik notices Ric Griffin approaching him

"Henrik. Congratulations. I'm sure you both be very happy." Ric shakes Henrik's hand.

"Thank you, Ric."

"Hope you're both ready for the storm.", He says with a grin. Ric was definitely going to enjoy this.

By the time Henrik is making his way back to Keller Ward, his phone starts to make its presence known.

There is a text message from Serena. _**So that's why you two were canoodling this morning!!! Congratulations! Drinks at Albie's tonight, no arguments.**_

Henrik cringes slightly at the last part. Neither he nor Roxanna was particularly fond of being in the centre of such attention. _I suppose we'll have to be willing to put up with for some time._

Roxanna is working at her desk when he arrives at their shared office. She smiles brilliantly at him as he drops his files on his desk and is about to say something when a loud noise from the door disrupts them.

Essie di Luca comes barreling into their office.

"Oh my god! Is it true? I just heard from an AAU nurse. You're engaged?!"

Essie has neglected to shut the door, so Henrik is certain half of Keller has heard her proclamation.

"Yes Essie, it's true." Roxanna's smile is so wide; she's sure her whole face was going to be sore from smiling too much by the end of the day.

Essie practically squeals her delight and moves hug Roxanna and then Henrik in succession. The latter being, most awkward due to their massive height difference and Henrik's general hugging awkwardness when it didn't involve Roxanna.

“This is wonderful news! Can I see the ring?”

“Uh…well. You see…it sort of happened very suddenly.” Roxanna hadn't foreseen this very obvious question in the morning.

Henrik looks at Roxanna guilty, and she quickly shakes her head at him. He hadn't even thought about getting Roxanna a ring.

Essie looks disappointed but quickly shakes it off. “It doesn't matter, what matters is that you are both happy. ”

“We are,” Henrik replies as he grasps Roxanna's hand.

She beams happily at them both, “I'm so pleased for you both. This place can always do with some good news."

“Thank you, Essie." Roxanna is glad that it's Essie that has confronted them first. At least she can be sure Essie's enthusiasm for the news is genuine and not purely in the interest of hospital entertainment.

Once Essie has left them alone again, Henrik immediately turns to Roxanna. "Roxanna, I'm so sorry. I didn't even think about organising an engagement ring for you."

"What do you have to apologise for? _I_ proposed to _you_. If anything, _I'm_ sorry, _I_ didn't get _you an_  engagement ring."

Henrik can't stop the bark of laughter that escapes him, at her words and he immediately feels less guilty.

The rest of the day goes about in a similar fashion. The knowing looks and congratulatory smiles from the staff all around the hospital warmed Roxanna's heart. From the delighted high pitched squeals of Donna Jackson to the smug smirks from Jac and Fletch and the warm bear hugs from Sacha Levy, Roxanna can scarcely remember when she felt so much like part of a family. _I'm not sure what Henrik what worried about? It hasn't been unpleasant at all._

When she and Henrik try to a have a quiet lunch in the staffroom, they are constantly interrupted by a steady stream of staff coming to offer their congratulations. Serena's invitation to Albie's has made it's way to the hospital intranet, and there is a slight buzz of excitement all throughout the corridors.

Henrik complains to Roxanna in a halfhearted grumpy tone, “It seems like no one even cares that I'm going to be the CEO again.”

“That's because you've been CEO loads of times before. Engaged to be married is novel and new to us.” Dom is probably enjoying this way more than he should, considering it wasn't that long ago, he and Lofty were in their shoes.

“So… tell us how it happened.” Watching the ever stoic and composed Henrik squirm self-consciously in his chair was providing Dom with far more entertainment than he ever thought possible.

“Yes. Roxanna, did he go down on one knee?” Essie was beyond thrilled at the happy couple and can hardly contain her excitement.

“Uh..it sort of happened out of the blue.” Roxanna looks at Henrik hesitantly. They were both such private people; she's unsure if she really wants share such a special and precious moment between them, with every one of their acquaintances.

“Oh, he surprised you! How romantic!” Dom's teasing drawl cannot mask his glee. Glee that is only amplified at Henrik's uncomfortable expression and the way his eyes darted towards Roxanna's. _Make them stop; they seemed to say._

“Sort of… the other way around, I suppose. Uh. I guess you could say I surprised him? And myself?” Roxanna finds herself on the losing side of this battle as Dom and Essie try to pry all the details out of her. She shrugs at Henrik helplessly.

“Ohhh. You proposed to him! Good on you!” Dom can't help but grin stupidly at the thought of Roxanna MacMillan bending down on one knee to ask Henrik Hanssen for his hand in marriage.

“Were you at a nice restaurant? Having dinner?” Essie is a little more gentle, sensing their obvious discomfort, but it doesn't stop her from wanting specifics.

“…err no. We were at home actually.…in bed.” Roxanna has come to the conclusion the only way to put a stop to this agony was to give into them both.

Dom's gleeful expression drops as he processes her words and it's though someone has thrown a bucket of ice water on him. He cringes and stands up suddenly from the table.

“Urgh….no. I didn't need to hear that!! That's disgusting." He rushes out of the staffroom in an attempt to purge the image from his mind.

Essie chuckles at Dom's reaction. "Don't mind him, one day he'll be in his forties and is going to have the shock of his life as realises he still wants to have sex."

That's just about the most unpleasant their day gets, as the joint news about their impending union and Henrik's return to his old post spreads through the hospital. After lunch, they both return to their duties and sometime towards the end of her shift, Roxanna loses track of Henrik's whereabouts. She's spared any concern when she receives a text from the man himself.

_**Meet you at the front of Albie's. - H** _

Roxanna looks curious when she finally sees Henrik make his way across the carpark to the front door of the favoured drinking hole of Holby staff, where she had been waiting for him.

"Where have you been? Dominic said you dashed off suddenly after your last surgery." She greets him with a kiss on the cheek.

"I had to go home to get something." Home. Their home now. For so long her head, she had called it Henrik's house. Roxanna's not really sure exactly when she'd moved into his space permanently. All she remembers is the trips to her own home becoming fewer and fewer; and the slow migration of her belongings into his home. The idea of sleeping in any bed other than his; no _theirs_ , now a foreign concept to Roxanna. The casual intermingling of their personal effects seemingly natural, for really, hadn't their lives been always intertwined?

"It's so late in the day, what could you possibly need that couldn't wait until later?"

"This." Henrik looks at her slightly nervously before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a square box. He places it carefully into the palm of her hand before closing her fingers over the box and covering it with his own hands. He raises their clasped hands to his mouth and kisses her fingers softly.

"Is this what, I think it is?"

"It was my mother's. I'd like you to have it, please."

Roxanna looks at him with surprise, touched at the gesture. Only Henrik Hanssen can make the giving of such as a gift, sound like a request, akin to one they would make for equipment inside the theatre. She reaches for him to pull him into her arms.

"Henrik. It's wonderful. You're wonderful."

Henrik smiles into her hair bemusedly. "You haven't even opened it, to have a look yet."

"It doesn't matter; it's a part of you. I love it, and I love you.” She stands on her toes to press her lips against his. Henrik responds immediately, now relaxed as he knows he has made the right choice in giving Roxanna his mother's ring. His hands gently stroke the sides of her face and Roxanna threads her fingers through Henrik's hair as she deepens the kiss.

For the second time in the day, they are interrupted by a friendly voice.

"Are you two lovebirds coming inside? We can't start the proper drinking until the guests of honour actually arrive. Serena is getting restless." Ric has poked his head out the front door of the pub in search of the happy couple.

"Just a sec, we'll be right there." Roxanna is slightly breathless from their kiss, and she can feel Ric's knowing smirk on her even though her back turned away from the door. The door slams shut as Ric retreats back into the pub.

Henrik gently pulls the ring box from her hand. He opens the box, pulls the ring from its case and slips it on her finger. It's a simple diamond ring supported on either side by rubies. Roxanna holds her hand upwards to admire the design.

"It really is exquisite Henrik. Thank you."

He threads their fingers together, tugs her into his arms and leans his forehead against hers.

"I'd very much like to abandon the pub and just go home."

"That sounds unbelievably tempting, but it would be wrong of us to let everyone down." Roxanna can hear the exuberant cheerful sounds of their friends coming from inside Albie's.

"Come on, then. If we delay any further, Ric will probably tell Dominic that we were having sex in the car park and he'll never be able to face us again."

Roxanna chuckles as she allows Henrik to lead her gently into the pub.

 


End file.
